Getting there
When traveling to Belize River Lodge
or the MV Blue Yonder, you need to get to Belize City, Belize.
This is easy from most major
cities in the US. You can arrive on any day of the week. There is
no specific in and out day.
Belize is served by several gateway cities in the US. Airlines
fly into the Belize International Airport, code (BZE). American
Airlines offers direct service from Miami, FL and Dallas, TX. Continental
flies from Houston, TX daily and Newark, NJ on Saturdays. US Airways
flies out of Charlotte, NC and Delta from Atlanta, GA and Los Angeles,
CA. TACA offers flights from Houston and a red eye out of Los Angeles,
CA.
Travel Documents
A valid passport is required to enter Belize. Visitors from the
USA, UK and the Caribbean do not require Visa’s to enter;
most other nationals do.
Travel Protection
Travel insurance and protection is always
nice to have as you never know what the future will hold or if plans
need to be changed at the last minute. Travel protection
is available from most travel agents or is available online. Many
travel insurance sites are available, here are a few that we know
about:
Carry-on Baggage
Most anglers like to carry
on their rods, reels and fishing equipment. Carry-on regulations
are not set in stone and depend on the airport that you are traveling
from. The most up-to-date information on security procedures can
be found on the web at www.tsatraveltips.us. While not specific,
it is a good guideline.
Belize Departure Tax
There is a fee of US$37.50 for the Belize
Departure Tax and Airport Security Fees that may be included in
your ticket. If not, it must be paid at the airport in US
dollars. For your convenience, please bring small bills to cover
this.
Upon your arrival in Belize you will go through
immigrations. A valid passport is required to enter Belize.
After picking up your luggage, you will clear customs; after which
you will be met directly outside the airport exit by a member of
the Belize River Lodge staff. If you are interested in cigars, check
out the cigar shop at the airport before departing to the Lodge.
After loading your luggage into the lodge
vehicle, you will make the short two mile drive to the Belize River
Lodge "5 bells" boat dock. You and your luggage
will then be loaded onto a skiff, and taken across the Belize River
to the Lodge. Upon arriving at the Lodge, you will usually be met
by Mike or Marguerite, your hosts. You will be offered a cool, refreshing
beverage (The Lodge is known for its lime juice), checked in, and
given room assignments and fishing itineraries; after which you
can retire to your room to settle in and unpack. This is a good
time to start setting up your fishing equipment. You can arrange
either a 1/2 day fishing or a 1/2 day tour at an extra cost. In
all cases, arrangements must be made in advance with agent in order
to schedule guides for those days.
On your arrival day for a MV Blue Yonder
cruise, you will be met at the airport as above. Then, you
will board the vessel at approximately 4:00 PM. After boarding your
live-aboard and meeting your crew, you and your fishing mate can
settle into your room, unpack, and sort gear with a cocktail. Meanwhile
the captain will be setting sail for one of the nearby cayes, approximately
two hours, where you will anchor for the night. Upon setting anchor,
your chef will serve an appetizing dinner. After dinner, you can
sit on the aft deck or fly bridge, enjoying the evening and discussing
the upcoming week.
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